In order for the people of a state to partake
in self-government, they require a communications system to distribute and
exchange ideas and messages among the people.

A large and complex society such as our own
requires a complex and expansive communications system to facilitate this
need. We have come to call this system "the media". The media are the instruments
of communication (such as books, newspapers, TV, film and the Internet) and
also the people and organizations that support the produ 13213g618n ction and distribution
of the messages.

Media are often acclaimed as the "fourth
power" in a democracy. They are hailed as the

"watch-dogs" of democracy. As
an integral force of civil society, the mass media is

expected to play a prominent
role in controlling the parliament, the government and the

If people are going to make the right kinds
of decisions in governing themselves, they need a wide array of information.

We rely on the media to tell us what's going
on. We are simply unable to experience everything of importance to us in the
society. Media provide a valuable way of finding out what's going on.

Media tell us what's going on and what should
concern us -- problems facing us or things that are going well.

Media, at least when they operate optimally,
don't just give us a pile of facts. Instead, they try to tell us what's
important. They interpret facts; they provide context so that we might make
sense of the issues.

The best thing the media can do is to induce
people to debate -- to encourage debate in an open society.

More debate the better. Not less.

The media must represent the people within a
society.

An essential part of democracy is the freedom
of the press. The reason we have
freedom of the press is to make sure that democracy is able to function. That's
the key here. We don't have press freedom just for the sake of the press
itself. Allowing friction and actually encouraging it means a free and open
society confronts its problems, lets dissidents say what is on their mind, and
ultimately preserves the entire system. The major threat to a governmental
system actually is suppression of ideas; suppression invariably leads to
incredible pressure.

Without the free exchange of
ideas and opinions, we have less sense of options.

The media must inform the public.

In a
democracy, the citizens are responsible for making collective decisions to
benefit the whole. Nobody has a monopoly on the truth. No one has perfect
wisdom. Collectively, however, we might come up with something pretty good. In
order for a democratic community to flourish, its members must share the
knowledge they gain. This sharing of knowledge is a form of education that
insures intelligent and informed decision-making by all the members of the
community for the benefit of the individuals and the community as a
whole.

In our society this sharing of knowledge is
carried out by both the education system and the media. The schools are
designed to teach skills and long-term knowledge. The media's function is to
inform the public about contemporary issues. The media gives the citizens
an understanding of what is currently happening in their world, and the schools
give them the skills to deal with these issues.

In
conclusion, to serve a democratic society, the media must represent and inform
the public. Also, the media must facilitate social unity. If a society is to
remain united, its members must have a common culture. In a large
society, media helps to distribute culture by giving the mass population shared
experience. The more we feel we have in common, the greater bond we will have
to each other and the greater chance we will be able to make decisions for the
common good.